Inaugural passengers and VIP guests from China were greeted by The Hon. Kate Jones, Minister for Education and Minister for Tourism, Major Events and the Commonwealth Games at a special event hosted by Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC).

Shenzhen has had a Sister City relationship with Brisbane’s since 1992, making it Brisbane’s longest held Sister City. It is the major city of the Pearl River Delta manufacturing area and home to 12 million residents, located on the China – Hong Kong border, a convenient 90 drive to/from Hong Kong.

Stephen Goodwin, Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) Acting CEO, welcomed Hainan Airlines to Queensland saying today’s inaugural was highly significant, underpinning the very strong connection and the long term relationship Shenzhen has with Brisbane.

“Developing a route to a new destination is a major commitment so we are delighted Hainan has recognised the huge potential of connecting Shenzhen and Brisbane and is backing that potential.

“The Chinese visitor market is currently the second largest for Brisbane Airport, averaging 14 per cent growth per year in the last five years, equating to 310,000+ passengers from China each year.

“Today’s launch is an important step in our drive to increase penetration into the Asian passenger market by leveraging our proximity to these emerging markets.

“We consider Hainan Airlines a valuable partner in this endeavour and look forward building to a long and successful partnership.

“I also acknowledge the support received from our State and Local Government, Tourism and Events Queensland, and Brisbane Marketing which has been invaluable in securing this service,” Mr Goodwin said.

Passengers will be able to connect all across China with Hainan Airlines’ extensive network from Shenzhen.

Hainan Airlines is a 5-Star airline, as rated by Skytrax, and is celebrating its 7th year at the top rating for quality. Hainan Airlines is part of the HNA group which is part owner of Brisbane based Virgin Australia.

The airline will operate an Airbus A330 aircraft on the route with flights arriving into and departing Brisbane on Thursdays and Mondays.